Thanks to platforms such as Shopify, and the exponential growth of Amazon, more and more organizations are entering the space and competing for consumer’s sales.
It’s easier than ever for shoppers to compare prices between brands, which means there’s no room for lax approaches to content marketing.
It’s an affordable method to attract more individuals that fit your ideal persona, build trust, and boost conversions in the short- and long-term.
There are eight content tactics you can incorporate into your marketing strategy to attract the right individuals.
While you can start with just one right now, the goal is to include all eight eventually.
Content Marketing Tip #1: Blogging
Native Blogging
Regularly publishing blog posts on your site is an excellent way to improve your search engine rankings, increase traffic, and build a list of subscribers.
Ensure your blog posts meet these best practices:
- Keyword driven: Research keywords that have a high volume of searches. Choose one to focus on for each blog post and include the keyword in your title and throughout the article.
- Non-promotional: People will get tired of reading about your great products. Write about topics that will educate your readers, help them learn a new skill, or improve their day-to-day lives.
- Internal links: Where it makes sense, link to your product pages. Ensure it makes sense and flows with the article.
- Capture email addresses: Create a form within your blog posts (or a pop-up) that provides readers with an opportunity to subscribe. Be sure to give them a good reason!
Guest Blogging
When other websites link back to yours, it helps both Google and readers see your brand as a trusted resource.
Guest blogging is a critical component because it provides a link to your website, which is valuable for Google.
And it provides third-party credibility, which is necessary for humans.
Here’s are some tips to get started:
- Start drafting titles. It’s usually better to present a few different topic options to your outlet to show you’ve done research on their audience and crafted content accordingly.
- Identify blogs in your industry and search their sites for “guest blog guidelines” or “write for us” pages.
- Contact those in your network to inquire about their interest in publishing your blog post on their site.
Content Marketing Tip #2: Create Free Content Offers
Content offers such as eBooks and guides are very common in the service industry but can also be useful for brands.
Every individual goes through a series of stages called the buyer’s journey before they’re ready to purchase.
Free content offers help guide users from one stage to the next.
The offer should help your potential customer learn something, and in exchange, they provide you with their email address.
By giving you their email address, they’ve told you they want to hear from you. Don’t lose that opportunity.
Here are some content offer ideas for your business:
- Comparison of product options
- Checklists
- Templates
- Images
- Audits
Try to launch a new content offer each month to build your library of marketing resources.
Content Marketing Tip #3: Blast Emails
When executed effectively, email marketing has a 4,401 percent ROI, making it the most valuable content marketing effort.
An effective email strategy includes a variety of different types of messages for each of your different audiences.
Be sure to incorporate these types of blast email campaigns in your content marketing strategy:
- Content offer promotion
- Sales and discount announcements
- New product/service offering
- Newsletters
- A snippet from your latest blog
Content Marketing Tip #4: Lead Nurturing Emails
Once a visitor takes a desirable action on your website and becomes a lead, you need to keep those contacts engaged.
Setting up automated lead nurturing emails can help you build relationships, share additional content that aligns with the buyer’s journey, and help you stay top-of-mind.
Incorporate personalization elements into lead nurturing emails to avoid coming across like blast emails.
Send emails that are as relevant as possible, which may require thorough persona research before creating your lead nurturing email strategy.
Content Marketing Tip #5: Social Media
Posting and engaging with other accounts on social media helps businesses grow their following, increase awareness, and drive conversion rates.
While Facebook has the highest conversion rate of all social media platforms (1.85 percent), the right channels for your business depend on where your personas spend time.
Organic/Non-Paid
Leverage the 80/20 rule when it comes to regular organic social media posts: Eighty percent of your content should be thought-provoking and valuable information for your followers.
Twenty percent of your posts can be slightly more promotional where you mention your brand’s products or services.
Paid Ads
If social media algorithms prohibit you from reaching your audience, which prevents you from achieving sales goals, running paid campaigns can help counterbalance the effects.
With the power of today’s social media platforms, you can get extremely granular in targeting allowing you to reach your ideal audience.
To optimize your return-on-investment, thoroughly research the intent of your prospective customers and present the appropriate product or offer.
A/B testing your ads will allow you to determine which elements are more useful and more effective than others.
Content Marketing Tip #6: Video
People love videos—they’re captivating and shareworthy.
Forty-three percent of people indicate they want to see more videos from marketers.
Build your library with different types of videos such as:
- Testimonials created by customers.
- Social media channels, such as Snapchat, Facebook/Instagram Live, and Stories.
- Product videos that show different ways people are using your products.
- What does a day-in-the-life look like for your business? Create videos that communicate the heart and soul that goes into the manufacturing and use of your products.
Content Marketing Tip #7: Professional Photography
You know how some websites have photography that just seems fake?
There’s nothing relatable about generic, overused stock photos.
Real, relevant, and engaging photography helps establish authenticity, increases the “shareworthiness” of your content, and can drive purchase.
Invest in professional product photography.
This can be shots around your office/facility, your staff members, and more general photos with a variety of application opportunities.
Content Marketing Tip #8: Establish Loyalty-Building Content
Content acts as a magnet to attract new customers but can also effectively help you drive repeat sales and increase each customer’s lifetime value.
If you ask for a testimonial and publish it on your website and promote it through social media and other avenues, customers will feel appreciated.
Showing your appreciation can also be a private effort with an individualized email campaign or retargeting ads.
Ninety-four percent of small businesses are implementing a content marketing strategy (but that doesn’t mean they’re all working!).
Keep ahead of your competition with the right approach.
Start by identifying the goals that are meaningful to your company and your budget, and build your strategy and calendar from there.
